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I think I have IBS, please help only 16 years old

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 5/7/2011 8:11 PM (GMT 0)
Every time I eat or drink anything I automatically will look pregnant and bloat. However when I wake up, I can clearly see my six pack abs and I look perfectly normal. Whenever i have to go to the beach or go swimming i won't eat or drink anything (including water) all day until im done

How can i stop my stomach from bloating so much whenever i eat or drink? i'm lactose intolerant and i take lactaid but that doesn't help. I'm 16 years old, 5'11" about 148 pounds, athletic body (spend a lot of my time in the gym)
Posted 5/7/2011 9:38 PM (GMT 0)
Congratulations on being so fit! I think the first thing you should look at is the foods you are eating. Gas producing food and carbonated beverages expand the intestines. Also, there could be hidden lactose in somethings you are eating.

There are several sites on the 'net that list foods that cause bloating. Here's one that will give you a starting point: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gas-and-gas-pains/DG00014

Also, you might want to keep a food diary for a few weeks. Write down everything you eat at each meal or snack, and then note whether you are having bloating. You might discover a culprit food or drink. Lastly, since we aren't doctors, I suggest you discuss the problem with your physician.
Posted 5/8/2011 12:26 AM (GMT 0)
louyville,

I agree with keeping a food diary it's probably more than lactose thats bothering you.  Do you eat alot of processed foods and take out from fast food places they are sure to cause bloating and problems.  Anything prepackaged has fillers, chemicals, lactose, dyes and a bunch of other junk that is just not good for our bodies. 

Start taking a good quality probiotic from your health food store to put the good bacteria back into the colon you might see a difference after a while with the bloating and digestive issues.

Posted 5/8/2011 7:23 PM (GMT 0)
I do eat a lot of baked beans, but I need it to get proteins and carbs. I eat fast food occasionally (4-5 times a month). I'll try keeping a diary

Also what probiotic would be recommended for me?
Posted 5/9/2011 1:33 AM (GMT 0)
louyville,

Baked beans are a good source of protien but for many of us can cause alot of gas and pain.  Good sources of protien are chicken breast, salmon or other types of fish(not deep fried), eggs, beans(too much will cause bloating and gas).   Carbs that don't cause alot of problems rice and rice products.  Cooked veggies are good, salad  is good but can cause bloating if the colon is irritated, might be hard to digest.  Bananas are very tollerable, some fruits are high in sugars which can cause problems.  Try to cut out your fast food for a month if possible, lactose is used as fillers in many foods.  I find that my gut is so bloated and in pain after eating at certain fast food places.  I avoid them they also cause diahrea.

Probiotics that many of us on the UC forum take is the Renew Life Ultimate Flora Critical Care 50 billion bacteria per capsule.  I take it morning and night on an empty stomach.  I also alernate  with one called Bio-k Plus it comes in a yogurt like container(boxes of 6 or 15)50billion bacteria per container.

Posted 5/9/2011 4:04 PM (GMT 0)
louyville


Is your only symptom bloating?
Posted 5/9/2011 9:26 PM (GMT 0)
Its bloating, gas, constant diarrhea and loud noises 30 minutes after i eat anything.

Is this another type of disease or is it IBS?
Posted 6/4/2011 11:20 PM (GMT 0)
Hi louyville,
Have a look at the FODMAP /FODMAP diet/IBS/Fructose Malabsorption threads - you may have a food intolerance issue that is causing your IBS symptoms (such as Fructose or Lactose Malabsorption). There's a fair bit of information in those threads so not much point repeating it all here. Best of luck.
Posted 6/5/2011 1:13 AM (GMT 0)

I'm 60 female and recently diagnosed with fructose malabsorption, lactose intolerance, and polyol intolerance.  I'm not coeliac but should try to go as gluten-free as possible because of the fructans in the wheat.  I would say I have been like this 10-15 years but didn't know why I was so ill.  Explosive spontaneous diarrhoea is not a good situation for anyone.  Currently on low FODMAP diet and going reasonably well but I'm quite anxious whenever I go out in case my bowel lets me down.  Also, how do similar sufferers cope in social situations when your meal is "finger food", etc.?  I DO NOT trust any food now unless I have prepared it myself.  I was quite stressed when we went out last night.

Posted 6/6/2011 5:12 AM (GMT 0)
Eating out. According to Shepherd Works eating small amounts of FODMAP foods when dining out may not induce IBS symptoms even if you are very sensitive. Reducing your FODMAP intake for 1-3 days prior to dining out may minimise the symptoms.

*If going to a restaurant I usually see if friends will let me choose where we go and then I can pick somewhere that at least has some simple/basic foods on the menu (eg steak and salad/veges) - and I ask for sauces to be served on the side. We would usually avoid certain types of restaurants if daughter was coming out with us eg. Thai, Indian, etc, as  usually lots of onion, garlic etc in their recipes and it's too difficult for those sorts of places to adjust their recipes or provide suitable alternatives.

*I sometimes ring the restaurant a few days before (or 'hostess' if going to a friends house) and just say my daughter has some dietary problems;  rather than telling them all the things she can't have (although usually mention onion, garlic and wheat), I give them a few ideas of what she can eat. I have found most places/people to be very accommodating once you have given them some easy suggestions.

*Worst case scenario, eat before you go out so you're not starving, and take some FODMAP friendly snacks with you.
Lactose Intolerance. Lacteeze tablets (or other brands) replace the lactase in your small intestine that normally break down lactose into 2 smaller more digestible molecules. Chew tablet/s with first mouthful of a lactose-containing meal (number required depends on amount of lactose in meal and individual lactose sensitivity). Worth a try - I imagine they would be handy at least when dining out, etc.

Try not to let it ruin your social life. Hopefully once you've been on the FODMAP diet for a while your IBS symptoms will be under control.

Posted 6/6/2011 8:26 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you so much FODMAP mum. Your response has given me some hope on how to "manage" situations. I thought I was "alone" and was getting upset and anxious. Nice to know that you can still have a social life on a low FODMAP diet. By the way, any tips on travelling overseas with eating restrictions?
Posted 6/7/2011 4:32 AM (GMT 0)
My daughter is off to Europe in a few weeks for a month's holiday (she is polyol intol, and wheat is still an unknown at this stage).  She's been through the elimination stage of the FODMAP diet, and is now trying to introduce foods back into diet. So far garlic seems to be OK, and we're trying onion, then wheat next. Going overseas is a bit of a worry as you just don't know what foods will be available. And the recent panic about salads in Europe is not helping the situation. At this stage she is thinking low FODMAP cheeses and cold meats will be OK, and basic salads if the 'panic' is over by then. Plain steaks/chicken and some plain veges too (she doesn't like seafood unfortunately). She will risk normal breakfast cereals but if she can't get lactose free milk she'll just put water on it (sounds gross, but she said it's edible). If she can find GF bread/crackers she'll buy some there (she doesn't actually need GF, but am guessing she won't be able to get Spelt bread, etc) - I'm going to do some internet research into that. As her IBS symptoms are pretty much under control now, if she's careful about loading and spacing the higher FODMAP foods, she will probably be able to risk eating a few 'danger' foods every now and again throughout the trip. I'll keep you informed as to how things go (via this thread). I don't think I'd be planning a trip to Asia though - should imagine it would be almost impossible there to get low FODMAP meals unless you eat in the big hotels that would serve some western foods. 
Posted 6/7/2011 6:51 AM (GMT 0)

Thanks again for your comments.  I haven't really "tested" myself yet.  I'm too scared to risk upsetting the applecart at this stage.  Agree with you about Asia.  I'll hasten slowly.  Happy to have any more feed back from you.  Hope your daughter's holiday goes well and she copes okay.  Would be interested to hear about this after she returns if you don't mind.

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